It's a Hard Knock Life
by Ashley218
Summary: When tragedy strikes, Rachel Berry finds herself somewhere she never thought she would be. She meets some pretty amazing people along the way. Faberry friendship
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: So this is a story about Rachel's life after her dads are tragically killed. Along the way, she meets some pretty amazing people that will change her life.

I've had this story written for a while but I decided to turn it into a Glee story after a while. By the way, the characters in my story are not going to act like their characters on the show, except for maybe Rachel.

Enjoy!

Did you know that ants are one of the hardest working kinds of insects alive? All day they toil while scavenging for food or perfecting their mound of sand they call home. Right now, they are collecting food. While I stare at the dusty, creaking floorboards beneath my feet, I watch a small handful of black ants scurry around themselves. After finding a scrap of food, they then hurry back into the minuscule opening in the wood floor. I'm always amazed at how fast they get around. It's like they downed five cups of ant-sized coffee before settling off on their task.

This process of gazing at caffeinated ants has been entertaining me for hours. There is nothing else to do except to observe my surroundings, and I chose to watch ants zip past one another. This brown, hard, and rough wood chair that had been home to my rear end for quite some time, causes my head to ache. I have thought about just leaving many times, but, of course, where would I go?

Through the thin, gray walls that are coated with decades of cigarette smoke, I can hear them read my file. I can hear them talking about me.

"Rachel Barbra Berry, born December 18, 1994. She turned 15 seventeen days ago. Daughter of the late Leroy and Hiram Berry. She's been living in New York since the age of one. Then two days ago, he world came crumbling down," the social worker read.

"Are you sure there's nowhere else she can go?"

"Sir, I've checked three times. This girl has no family, no nothing. The only living relative, her aunt, resides in California. Sir, not only does she live too far away, but her health is declining. She is in no position to be raising a teenager," Mr. Baker replies.

"Very well. I'll arrange for her to be sent to the Crenshaw Orphanage," the man says.

"But sir, if I may, that orphanage is located on the East Side. It is so much different from her home just outside the city."

"I am very aware of that Mr. Baker, but this is the only orphanage in the city that has not yet met its full capacity. Boy, how the numbers of orphans are climbing each day. Anyhow, Rachel will have to learn to be around what she's never experienced. Perhaps it will be what's good for her."

I stare out the window at the dead and frosty trees and the ice-covered lakes. Even though I am in an enclosed area I am still chilled by the winter air. I see people walking the streets. They look so gloomy and morbid, much like how I feel. The social worker, whose name escapes me, comes to an abrupt halt. Like lightning, he is opening my door and getting my small load of luggage from the trunk. I can't help but think that he is moving so fast because he can't wait to get rid of me.

I step over the slush puddle on the road and stand directly facing the building. This is where I'm supposed to live? This dark, dank structure can hardly be considered as home for me, let alone many other kids. Mr. Baker, oh yes that's his name, pushes me towards the building as if he's scared to go in himself and he wants me to go first. Reluctantly, I take one step forward, glance at Mr. Baker and keep walking. I finally reach the door where Mr. Baker rings the doorbell for me. Eventually an old bag of a woman answers the door. I assume she is the head of the orphanage. I peer into the building where I see kids running around recklessly.

The woman gives me a once over before she begins speaking. "Ahh and you must be Rachel. I am Ms. Davis," the woman said while extending her hand. Rachel stared at it for a few moments before it crossed her mind that she should probably shake it. "If you'll just follow me, I'll take you to your room."

As Ms. Davis leads me to my room, I feel the stare of what seems like a hundred children. They look at me as if I am some unknown species from the jungle where no one had ever ventured.

At least they know I'm here.

When I get to my room, I learn that I have to share it. There is a girl, who looks about my age, sitting on the bed across from mine. She too, stares at me as I come in. I conclude that she just came from doing chores outside. Noticeable splotches of dirt cover her body as well as her clothes. Her strawberry colored hair, which is braided into pigtails, contains fragments of leaves. She looks like a Cindy to me.

"Rachel, this is Quinn," Ms. Davis announces as she points to the ragged girl on the bed. "You two will be sharing a room together."

I smile weakly at Quinn as she does the same to me. Obviously so, Ms. Davis hurries the introduction so that she can turn her focus on Mr. Baker. She tells me what time meals are at, what time lights go out, and that there is no rough-housing inside. Already, I observe that she doesn't enforce this last rule, as I can hear the patter of running feet and the bangs on walls. When the head finishes telling me the rules, she whisks the timid social worker off to a room where she can be alone with him. I bet Mr. Baker wishes he called in sick today.

Without a thought on what to say to Quinn, I turn and set my belongings on my bed. I unpack my clothes and neatly lay them in my designated drawer. I then bring out my beloved Dog. Dog is a stuffed animal my father's gave to me, just a week after I was born. Since I could never decide on a name for him, I just call him Dog. I can't even imagine how I would sleep without him. He serves as a sort of pillow for me and when I get scared or miss my parents, he consoles me as I cuddle him.

All the while I am doing this Quinn watches me carefully, as if I'm an alien being. Noticing her gaze, I glance at her, hinting that she should stop. As soon as she saw me look at her she started fidgeting with her hair, but soon went back to watching my every move. Because I was starting to get a little uncomfortable, I decided the best thing to do was make conversation.

"So how old are you?" I asked Quinn.

"She was hesitant to answer because she was shocked I was talking to her. "Fifteen."

"Oh me too. Do you like it here?" I asked.

This time she answered without hesitation. "It's ok. I mean, I have a roof over my head and food to eat."

Within minutes Quinn filled me in about almost everything that goes on at the Crenshaw Orphanage, completely dropping her initial shroud of shyness. I learned that Ms. Davis gives you all your basic needs but other than that, she not a very good person. Quinn also informed me that Ms. Davis can be a little tipsy at times so I should generally just try to steer clear of her. While conversing with this girl, I felt a certain sadness for her. She told me that she really didn't have any friends because they were either snobby or too depressed to even start a friendship.

Our conversation was interrupted by the dinner bell. Quinn said we will finish talking later because if we are late to dinner, or any meal, Ms. Davis will punish you by giving you kitchen duty for a month.

When supper is served, my plate is handed to me with an unidentifiable mush and kidney beans. Actually, at first I thought it was kidney beans but now that I get a better look, it also resembles chocolate pudding. Being brave, I taste the mush, make a face, and start to gag. This is food that no one should have to eat! As I look around, no one else shows that the food disgusts them. This means that either they are used to it or this mystery food has burned off some of their taste buds. It was very hard to finish my dinner but eventually I did.

Afterward, Quinn and I continued our conversation. We started on the subject of out previous life, the one before the life ruined by pain and depression. Quinn didn't elaborate on her life for fear that she would lose all emotional stability. She only told me that her mother and father were in a horrible car crash and that's why she's here. Instead of keeping it short and simple, I decide to reveal my life to a girl I barely know.

"My dads had a great appreciation of the arts. So they would always take me to the newest plays and musicals on Broadway. That's how I came to discover what I want to do with my life. I'm going to be on Broadway one day, see my name in lights..." Rachel was brought out of her reverie as Quinn cleared her throat, hinting that she should continue. "Oh yeah, anyway. I remember sometimes in the summer, we would go out and go swimming in the lake or play baseball in the back yard. Even though my dads were gay, they still were amazing at playing sports. I remember the gorgeous smiles on all of our faces, sustained by the pure joy of each other. We were the epitome of a happy American family. Dad was always followed around by rays of sunshine. And Daddy had that gentleness about him. I was the luckiest kid in the world," I said with a light laugh, but it was stifled as I took note of my use of past tense words. "It was like there was a force field around us, always. Until that day." Tears began to well up in my eyes and my throat gets a lump the size of a baseball in it. "I was at my best friend, Sutton's, house when it happened. Sutton's mother came into the room, where we were playing with our beautiful Barbies. There, she informed that my house had caught on fire...with my parents still inside. At first, it didn't feel real. I mean, what happened to protective shield around us? When Sutton's mother drove me back to my house, the realization not only it me, it practically stabbed me in the heart. What lay in front of me, the place I used to call home, are the charcoaled remains of my house. Everything was gone, everything I knew, including my parents. Gone. At the scene, the police said it was the work of an arsonist because the fire was started at all the doorways which led to the windows, blocking any possible escape routes." I pause. tears now streaming down my face. My jaw aches and I realize that I've been speaking through clenched teeth. "So that's how I ended up here."

Seeing my despair, Quinn sits on my bed and hugs me so tight, it reminds me of being in my fathers' arms. I let out huge sobs and so does she. I know she is thinking of her own family now. For five minutes, we cry together and after there aren't any more tears left, we just stare at each other, like we can hear what the other is saying by channeling our pain. Even though I just met this girl hours ago, and i must say I was too quick to judge, I feel a certain closeness to her.

We fall asleep a short time after, which was much needed, as we were wiped out from night's event.

So did you guys like it? Tell me about it in a review!

By the way, if any of you guys have read my untitled story, I just wanted you to know that it is going to be put on hold for right now because when I wrote it I had no idea where I was going with it. Lucky for you, I know where I am going with this story.

Also, if you have read my other story A New Beginning, Or Maybe Not, I'm afraid that I won't be able to update that one anytime soon. Don't you hate when real life gets in the way? So hopefully, this story will be able to hold you over until the next update.

P.S. Sorry for the cheesy title. I suck at coming up with titles.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: This is the second chapter in the story. Enjoy!

Glee

Light begins to filter through my eyelids and I realize that I'm not sleeping anymore. My back and neck ache from my spring bed that I now sleep on, adversely different from my bed at home. I flutter out of bed with my eyes still half closed. To let in some fresh air, I pry open the window. Seconds later, a tiny bird lands on the windowsill. His feathers aren't the most flattering color of grey, but the rest of him is adorably cute.

"That's Charlie," Quinn announces as she comes out of the bathroom. "He comes here at various times of the day because I started feeding him."

I nod, while at the same time, admire his cute, baby face.

Ms. Davis' stomping footsteps are heard coming down the hall.

"Hurry, Rachel. Make Charlie go away and close the window. If Ms. Davis see him, she'll shoo him away and make him never want to come back."

As soon as I shut the window, Ms. Davis appears in the doorway. I try as hard as possible to not act suspicious. As she stares at us, I can't help but notice the mess of a hair-do she has. Her greying hair is hoisted up off her shoulders by countless clips and barrettes. It looks as if she just threw her hair up and whatever position it came to, that's how she decided to wear it. She ambles in my direction and begins to speak. From the minute she opened her mouth, I could smell the booze in her odorous breath. How is this woman fit to run an orphanage?

"Hope you had a good night's sleep because you're gonna need it. After you finish your breakfast, you and Quinn will scrub every bathroom in the building from head to toe." She turns and leaves with a wide grin plastered to her face. I stand there with my mouth gaped open in shock. What an excellent welcoming gift.

After four hours of scrubbing, Quinn and I decide to take a break and eat lunch. In addition to the aches I had this morning, I know have pains in my knees from being on them all morning. I feel like an old lady. Since there isn't a cook until dinner, we decide to make ourselves gourmet PB&J sandwiches. Well, as gourmet as a PB&J sandwich can be. This meal was far more enjoyable than last night's meal, as I could identify all the components.

We soon went back to work in the bathrooms and only two hours later we finished the laborious task. We had the rest of the day to ourselves. We decided to make hairstyles for each other. It was my turn to style Quinn's hair first. I decided to French braid her silk, gold hair in pigtails. Then it was Quinn's turn. She tried to remake Ms. Davis' do. It looked pretty horrible but it captured the essence of Ms. Davis perfectly.

By the time dinner ended, we had minimal energy left in us. As soon as our heads touched the fluffy pillow, we were out like a light.

Three days passed on in the same manner as the previous two. Ms. Davis gifted us with unfavorable tasks but we still mocked her disheveled behavior. I am still unable to discover what makes up the dinner I eat but I have yet to become ill because of it, so I presume that's all that matters.

Glee

At six o'clock the next evening, the dinner bell rang again, going right along with routine. The ten other kids, who I have not yet met, Quinn, and I all settled into out designated seats. Once we gave thanks, our dinner was served. Our plates were served with a burnt piece of chicken covered by white sauce with green chunks of something mixed in. I'm a bit surprised because I think the green chunks were actually supposed to be green.

When the cook came out of the kitchen, bringing everybody's food, I could tell something was wrong. Tears stained her cheek which caused her make up to smudge. She rubbed her eyes and nose, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying. This only made everyone notice her more. I wanted to ask her what was the matter but Ms. Davis beat me to it.

"What's wrong Miss Corcoran? Is being a cook too hard?"

Looking shocked but not looking away from the table, she softly answered, "No mam."

"Well then please stop your pitiful sobbing. You are making it increasingly difficult to enjoy the slop you've put on everybody's plate."

"Yes mam," she answered. After she finished setting down the last of the plates, she hurried back into the kitchen, all the while keeping focus on the ground.

Everyone stayed silent for the rest of the meal. No one wanted to take the risk of being snapped at by Ms. Davis. No one wanted to be subject to her humiliation.

In the silence, I thought about Miss Corcoran. Me, being an extremely empathetic person, I naturally felt the need to ask what was wrong. I wonder why she is cooking our dinners, where as our usual cook is not here. (Not that I am complaining. Tonight's meal was definitely a step up from the past few days). I remember seeing her outside, raking the leaves the morning that I opened the window and Charlie came in. It was weird because at the moment she happened to look up at my window, and just stared at me. After a few seconds, I looked around to see if there was anyone behind me, thinking she couldn't be looking at me for that long. But when I turned back she was stilling staring at me. Just then, the woman was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Miss Davis shouting her name. Miss Corcoran turned to walk inside but not before flashing another glance at me. I was then soon brought out of my thoughts as the little grey bird landed on the windowsill.

After dinner I went to the now, sparkling clean, bathroom. I'm no longer afraid that I will contract a disease just from entering it due to the laborious Quinn and I spent disinfecting it. That is the only good thing that came out of the day's toil.

While making my way back to my room and passing the kitchen, the sound of muffled crying caught my attention. Judging from the night's earlier events, I figured it was the cook and decided to go see what was wrong. All the lights were shut off in the kitchen, making it slightly eerie. The door, slightly cracked open, allowed only a sliver of light to shine in. after I peered into the room, I slowly pushed open the door.

"Miss Corcoran?" I called out.

The woman, sitting on the floor up against the wall, jumped at the sound of my voice. She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked up at me.

"What are you doing here? You are supposed to be getting ready for bed. You are far from where you should be," the woman snapped.

"I know mam. I was on my way to my room and I passed the kitchen. I couldn't help but hear you crying and I, well, all of us saw you crying earlier this evening. I just wanted to low if everything was ok."

"I appreciate that but you don't have to worry about me. Just head to bed and forget about it."

This is not what I wanted to happen. She clearly isn't fine but it's probably none of my business anyway. I decide to leave because I don't want to be the naggy kid who wants to know everything. Reluctantly I wish her a good night and make my way to the door. Before I get there, I am stopped.

"Wait. Everything's not alright."

After stopping in my tracks, I turn towards her. She meets my gaze and motions for me to sit down opposite her. As I sit, I wonder what in the world she is doing here. I can't understand why a woman so young and beautiful is stuck in the kitchen of an orphanage on the East Side. I can guess that she is only in her mid-twenties. Her flowing, silky, hair is as black as the midnight sky. Women everywhere would be jealous of her figure and she's got a gorgeous face to go with it. Even after all that, something else caught my attention more the anything; the eyes. Her eyes, chocolaty brown, stared straight at me. They are so powerful, it's like they pierce holes through my skin. Even though she had been crying, her magnificent brown eyes blaze with life.

While staring at the wall, the woman says, "There's a funny thing about family. You can spend your entire life with them and think nothing is ever going to happen to each other. After all, your family is the greatest family in the world, invincible. You never know how amazing they are until you realize your days with them are limited."

As she starts crying, I start thinking about my parents. Oh, please lady, I really don't want to cry right now. I'm still recovering from the last time I thought about them. But I know I can't tell her that. After all, I was the one who came to see what was wrong.

"Anyway, my brother, Jonathan, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a week ago. My family let me know earlier. Nobody wanted to tell me right away because they knew I would be devastated. And I am. Jonathan and I were extremely close growing up. My mom always said we were attached at the hip, couldn't be separated. Then, when he was sixteen, he started hanging around with the wrong crowd and messing around with drugs. But he was one of the few people that could see that he was hurting the people he loved. He realized he needed to turn his life around, so he did. He sobered up, got a job, and met a girl. Two years ago he married that girl. He was finally happy and everybody was happy for him. Now at twenty seven, he gets freaking cancer?"

She is now bursting into sobs. What am I supposed to do? I don't know how to comfort someone I just met three minutes ago. Is this what I looked like the night that I told Quinn about my parents? Still, I feel bad because this woman is pouring her heart out to me and all I can do is sit here and stare.

Finally, the cook controls her crying and says, "I'm spry, really. I didn't mean to dump this on you. It just felt so horrible to keep all that inside. I needed to vent."

"It's ok…"

"Shelby, call me Shelby. Miss Corcoran makes me sound old," she replies with a light, sad laugh.

"Um ok, Shelby. I understand. The first night I got here I poured out every detail I could about my parents to Quinn, the girl who shares a room with me."

"Thanks. And what's your name? So I don't have to walk around calling you 'kid'."

"It's Rachel, Rachel Berry," I said as Shelby gave out a ghost of a gasp. I could have imagined it.

"Well, Rachel. You should probably make your way to your room before Ms. Davis catches you."

"Ok I will. And I'll remember to include Jonathan in my prayers."

Shelby smiled. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

And with that I wished her a good night and snuck down the hallway with the stealthy skills of a ninja, not wanting to alert the head. Quinn, already asleep, snored softly as I jumped into bed. From there, everything is a blur, as I was in serious need of some sleep.

Glee

Author's Note: So I hope you guys liked this chapter. I did. Mostly because I know what's to come of it, but still.

Please review! Do you guys like this story? I can't really tell because I have only gotten one review so far. Anyway, any suggestions or comments are welcome, just review


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: So this is chapter 3 in the series. Sorry for the wait but my muse finally returned to me! You don't know how happy I was when it returned. Anyway, enjoy!

Glee

Sounds of feet thumping on the wooden floor and the echoing shout of Ms. Davis telling the kids to shut up filled the room, waking me from my deep sleep. As my eyelids slowly start to flutter open, I see Quinn's face about six inches from mine. I nearly hit the wall as a result of the scare.

"My goodness, Quinn! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" I ask, shocked.

"Wow. It's like you could feel me staring at you. I've only been sitting like this for fifteen seconds," Quinn informed me.

"You counted? What a nice way to spend your time. I'm flattered," I say jokingly.

I decided to wear my pink summer dress, even though it's winter. I know we won't be going outside anyway; it's much too cold for that. This dress was given to me on my fourteenth birthday, almost a whole year ago.

My dads made this dress. They are- were- very involved in my extracurricular activities, which mainly involved theater. My dads were always helping to make costumes for the community plays and musicals. With the help of two other mothers, they once designed, and then crafted all the costumes for the Wizard of Oz. They were always handy with a needle and thread like that.

When Miss Corcoran, I mean Shelby, stepped out of the kitchen, I could barely tell it was the same woman I'd talked to last night. Sure the facial features were the same but she looked so much neater. Her river of black hair was slickly tied back into a pony tail. She had makeup applied in all the right areas. As she served our food, I couldn't help but notice that my portion of mush was slightly larger than everyone else's. I quickly shook it off. It was probably just a coincidence anyway.

After breakfast and a few easy chores, Ms. Davis allowed us to do whatever we wanted. This was her time to have fun with the bottles of wine she hid in her room. We know she had them in there because we often spied on her. I'll admit, I spied. Since Ms. Davis' door was slightly lopsided, all the kids would peek through a crack. When we see her coming towards the door, we'd all scatter, like the ants in the social worker's office.

Today, Quinn is going to introduce me to the rest of the kids here. Even though I'd been here for almost a week, I hadn't met anyone besides Quinn yet. I needed time to take in my new home. No, I can't call it that. My new house. I needed to brace myself for the idea that this is the start of a new life. A life that involves harder work, new friends, and no parents.

The first room Quinn and I came to is Santana and Britney's.

"Santana, Britney, this is Rachel. Rachel, this is Santana and Britney," Quinn announced.

I flashed a smile in their direction, immediately wanting to come off as friendly. However, this smile faded as Santana glanced over her shoulder, looked me over, silently scoffed, and turned her back, continuing to braid Britney's hair.

"Oook, we can go now. Let's go Rachel," Quinn said to me as she took my arm and led me out of the room.

As we passed through the doorway, I heard the blonde say quietly, "She has a really big nose." I clenched my fists but quickly told myself not to worry about it. After all, I am going to have to be able to take much more criticism if I'm going to make it on the great White Way.

"It's ok Rachel. Don't listen to them. I'm sure they're just jealous. Also…they're kinda together. They won't admit to anyone but themselves though," Quinn informs me as I slowly nod my head.

"Ok, next is Kurt and Mercedes' room. Kurt is the fashionista of the house. And Mercedes, well, she has a bit of an attitude. Don't get me wrong, she is nice. It's just that she kind of thinks of herself too much," Quinn says.

The first thing that catches my eye when I walk into the new room are the posters of Barbra Streisand on Kurt's wall. I like this kid already.

"Rachel, this is Mercedes and Kurt. Kurt, Mercedes, this is Rachel," Quinn says as I again smile my friendliest smile. Although this time, it's received so much differently than in Santana and Britney's room.

"Hey," Mercedes says while flashing a smile back.

"Hel- oh my god," Kurt exclaims. "With your skin tone, this dress looks absolutely stunning on you."

"Oh thank you," I reply while laughing. "By the way, I couldn't help but notice the posters of Barbra on your wall. I am a huge fan!" I say to Kurt, almost jumping up and down. I can't help it. The legend is one of my favorite topics.

"Me too! I believe that anyone who hasn't heard of her has been deprived of a lifetime of musical enrichment," Kurt replies, now as excited as I am.

"Wow, it's like you've slipped inside my head or something."

I know I've found my musical buddy.

"You know when she sang-"

"Ok you too. You can discuss Barbra later. Rachel, we have more people to meet," Quinn says, breaking up what could have been a fantastic conversation.

"Oh, ok. It was nice meeting you two," I say as I reluctantly walk out of the room.

"One more room. And before we go in, I have to tell you something. Finn is mine," she says while smiling.

I thought she was going to tell me some deep, dark secret. Nope, just about a guy that she has dibs on.

As soon as I pass through the doorway, I want to leave just as quickly as I entered. The room reeks of sweat; typical male scent. One guy, the more muscular one, is on the floor by the side of the bed doing crunches.

"Seventy-seven, seventy-eight."

I sigh. Guys must think the female species are so gullible. Right before we walked into the room I heard him count to seven. Although I can't deny that he is pretty attractive. His neatly shaven mohawk and just his natural expression gives me the feeling that he likes to cause trouble.

The other boy, who I am like a dwarf next to because of his insane height, is lying still on his bed, staring blankly at the plain white ceiling. I recognized him from a couple days ago. On laundry day I passed by his room and saw that he was collecting his laundry as well. I watched in horror as he brought a filthy sock towards his nose and proceeded to sniff it. I then chuckled silently as he repealed back in disgust. Why he smelled his own dirty sock, I'll never know. Quinn doesn't have to worry about Finn and me. By all means, she can have him.

"Oh hey ladies," the mohawk boy greeted us while standing up. "I was just working on my six pack."

Quinn and I both rolled our eyes.

"Oh, I'm sure Puck. Anyway, Puck, Finn, this is Rachel. She's new here," Quinn said while gesturing towards me. "Rachel, this is Finn and Puck."

I then flashed my routine friendly smile, well only at Puck. Finn just lifted his head off the pillow and politely said hello, then directed his gaze back to the dull ceiling. Maybe I just don't understand someone who is smart enough to smell their own dirty sock.

"Hey Rachel, maybe sometime I could give you a tour of the house," Puck said while walking towards me.

"Nice try, Puckerman. I already showed her the house."

Puck rolled his eyes in annoyance at Quinn. "Fine." Directing his eyes back to me he said, "Well if you ever need help with anything, I'm right down the hall from you," he said while smiling.

"Why did you say "nice try" to Puck?" I asked Quinn once we were out of the room. "I thought he was being nice."

"Puck is what you call…how should I say it? A ladies man, to put it nicely."

"Ladies man," I parroted.

"Man-whore, more specifically," Quinn added quickly. "I know for a fact that he has fooled around with both Santana and Britney. I have no idea how they didn't get caught," Quinn said, the last part mostly to herself.

"Oh."

Well my instincts were partly correct. I guessed that he did like to cause trouble.

I was reluctant to go to dinner that night. I just really didn't like the food. It was a simple as that. But I figured that I would rather eat slop than starve. Tonight we had breakfast for dinner: French toast and eggs. The meal was far better than I expected, not slop at all. I was actually a bit surprised.

When Shelby served the plates she flashed me a friendly smile, like the one I had given to the rest of the members of the house. It wasn't a creepy I-was-nice-to-you-so-now-you're-stalked-for-life smile. Just nice. I, of course, matched her smile back at her. Even though I don't really know her I figured it was nice to smile back because I know she's going through a hard time, with her brother and all. You never know how much free kindness can help a person out.

After dinner, I didn't make a point to socialize with anyone as I was physically and mentally drained. Within fifteen minutes of going to bed I was dead asleep.. These days at Crenshaw Orphanage can really wear a girl out.

Glee

Author's Note: So that was chapter 3. Please review and tell me what you thought :)

P.S. I promise Shelby will be back soon enough.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. That pesky thing called school tends to have a way of getting in the way. Anyway, enjoy!

Glee

Sunlight slowly seeped in through the frost covered window. My brain was telling me not to get up. It was happy to just relax. And I was perfectly fine with agreeing and continued lying motionless in bed. But the pain in my back told me that I'd better get up soon or I would regret it later.

Suddenly the flapping of feathers against my face caused me to jolt backwards, my head colliding forcefully with the wall.

"Ow!" I shout.

"Whoops. Sorry Rachel," Quinn says, a sheepish grin accompanied her apology.

"Quinn! Do you realize that this is the second morning where I've been woken up to nearly having a heart attack?" I ask, though it's not really a question. "Why in the world was Charlie so close to my face?"

"I do realize that it's the second time in a row that you've almost peed your pants on my account. Which I am sorry for," Quinn said, though I'm almost certain it wasn't genuine. "But this time it wasn't intended. You know how yesterday I said it's like you could feel me looking at you? Well I wondered if it would be the same if Charlie was the one who was staring at you. Only, he got really excited, or mad, depending on how you take it, and decided that he was going to flap on your face," Quinn finally finished her explanation."

I raised a questioning eyebrow in her direction.

"Actually I'm just kidding," she laughed. "I just made that up, minus the part with Charlie getting excited or mad. I was just bored waiting for you to get up."

Glee

As I strode down that hall, away from the still clean bathroom, I recognized a familiar tune being sung.

"I'd sooner buy defying gravity. Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity. I think I'll try defying gravity. And you won't bring me down."

Wow, whoever is singing has a beautiful voice. I'll admit, I traveled slightly out of my way to locate the sound. When I turned the corner, I was surprised to find that the mystery voice belonged to Shelby. With her back turned to me, she swept the dining room floor while singing Defying Gravity, increasing in volume with each passing lyric. Actually the task of sweeping was totally lost as she was using the end of the broom as a microphone.

Seeing it as my only option, I joined in singing. At the sound of my voice Shelby whipped her head around to see who had snuck up on her, while in the process, stopping the sound from coming out of her mouth. She smiled when I kept singing and then joined back in.

By the time the last few lyrics echoed through the walls, a crowd had formed around the doorway to the dining room, though I didn't notice them until I was done singing.

In the silence that the audience wasn't sure whether to applaud in or stay silent, I kept my eyes locked with Shelby's and she did the same with mine. For a reason unknown to me, I just couldn't seem to turn my gaze away.

"Don't just stand here! Everyone out! Move it!" Ms. Davis shouted to the crowd that had formed, now facing them.

As the teenagers ambled in the opposite direction, I was able to change my focus from Shelby to the irritated older woman. She had turned around and was now glaring at Shelby, who matched the glare and maybe even trumped. It seemed as if a silent conversation was passing between the two. I wondered what they were "saying" to each other. Ms. Davis' eyes went from having fire in them to being cool and calm, accompanied by a tiny smirk. And Shelby's eyes went from having the bliss from singing in them to slight anger with a tinge of hurt.

It's times like these when I wish I didn't have such high curiosity levels.

After a few moments, Ms. Davis glanced at me, and the "conversation" was over. I watched as she turned on her heel and slipped out of the room.

Shelby sighed, though not a sad sigh, and turned her focus back to me.

"Don't worry about her. She's just jealous that was sounded so good together. She can't sing to save her life."

I laughed and nodded in agreement. The looks that passed between the two told me that it was not about jealousy. But she was probably right about Ms. Davis singing. Her speaking voice was awful to listen to in the first place. I shudder to imagine how she would sound trying to belt out Broadway's biggest ballad.

"Shelby, I had no idea you have such a beautiful voice. And I bet everyone watching didn't know it either."

"Thank you Rachel," Shelby said genuinely. "I don't normally sing out in the open like that. The words just got inside of me and I just…couldn't help it, you know?"

"Absolutely. That song especially. I try to feel the words with each performance I give," I say while smiling.

"You have an amazing voice yourself."

"Thank you. Since the tender age of one up until my dads died, I had been taking voice lessons."

"That's a long ti- wait, did you say you started taking voice lessons at one?" Shelby asked, surprised.

"I was very musically verbal."

"Oh," Shelby said, arching her eyebrow.

"Well you see, when I was three months old I won my first dance competition, at seven months, my first singing competition. Ever since, I've known that the stage is where I want to be. It's the only place I could ever think of wanting to be."

"So you've pretty much got all this planned out," Shelby said. It was half question, half statement.

I nodded my head excitedly. Of course I had this planned out. "Yep. I'm going to star in some hugely successful musical like Rent or Wicked- they're my favorite- on Broadway one day."

"Setting your sights high, that's my girl."

"Wh-"

"_A _girl. I mean, that's _A _girl."

Suddenly the tension that filled the room was palpable enough that I actually thought I could slice through it. The silence that followed was an uncomfortable one. While Shelby stood on one side of the table, I stood on the other, keeping my gaze down, unsure what to say. Out the corner of my eye, I caught Shelby stealing a few glances at me before returning her eyes back to the table.

Unable to stand the silence, I finally say, "Ok, well, um…I'm gonna go. I'm sure Ms. Davis has more chores for me to do, you know, to keep me busy."

"Right. Yeah, uh, I should get back to cleaning."

I nod while pointing my thumb towards the door, signaling that I'm going to leave. Shelby nods back and thankfully makes no attempts to keep me. I exit the room hearing Shelby mutter frustrated words under her breath.

As I stride down the hall, I ponder what Shelby said. _That's my girl. _What did that mean? Maybe she's one of those people who grow acquainted with others too fast. You end up being nice to them and they think you're best friends for life. I'm not saying that we aren't friends, well actually, we aren't. Not that I'm saying that we couldn't be. Shelby seems like a really nice person. Plus, she was singing Defying Gravity, which has to mean she's a fan of Broadway. I love finding fellow Broadway lovers. They are so few and scarce these days….Wow, even in my thought I go off on tangents. Anyway, I think my point was that we could indeed be friends one day. But then if she considered me a friend, she would she be so quick to correct herself?

Or maybe it was like one of those rare but incredibly embarrassing moments when you accidently call your teacher 'mom'. I've done it twice before. Once in second grade and once in third. The first time, nobody heard me. But I was still a little shocked that I called my teacher mom. The second time, we were coming back from lunch and I needed to ask my teacher if I could use the bathroom. I don't know why I associated the bathroom with the word "mom", but I did. My teacher didn't hear me, thank goodness, but the five kids who were near me did. They teased me a little for it but nothing too harsh. Nothing that led me to being labeled for the rest of my elementary school life. I'm sure they've done it too.

Of course, that's it. It makes sense. She just made the mistake of saying 'my girl'. And now it makes sense why she would have corrected herself so quickly. I've got it all figured out.

Glee

Author's Note: So, that's the end of chapter 4. Please review and tell me what you think :)

P.S. I'm saddened to say that the updates will come fewer. School is getting harder and I have family staying with me for a while. So it's easy to get distracted.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: So here is chapter 5. Hope you like it. Enjoy!

Glee

Upon entering my room, I spotted Quinn, looking out the window as she braided her blonde hair. She didn't notice when I came into the room so I saw this as the perfect opportunity for revenge. Again using my stealthy spy skills, I tiptoed further into the room, no creaking sounds omitting from the floorboards. I stifled the urge to giggle at Quinn's obliviousness. Once I get within inches of her I then crouch down so my face is right behind hers, yet she still can't see or hear me. She is completely entranced. I count down in my head. Three…two…one…

"BOO!" I yelled into Quinn's ear.

"Ahh!" Quinn screamed. Startled, she jumps and falls off her chair backwards. But not before taking a swat in the intruder's direction. Luckily I managed to dodge it in time.

By the time Quinn realizes who has snuck up on her I am doubled over in a fit of laughter.

"Oh Quinn," I say between laughs. "You should've seen your face."

Quinn's face was hilarious. Her eyes, bugged out comically, had a tinge of terror in them.

"Rachel! Was that necessary?"

"Oh yes, I believe it was."

"I almost had a heart attack"

"Whoa, now that sounds strangely familiar to what I have been saying for the past two mornings."

Quinn flashed me a teasing scowl.

"Ok, ok. Fine, we're even."

"Not technically," I reply. "But I do suppose I can stop scaring you if you stop doing it to me."

"Deal. I almost peed my pants before. Not looking for a repeat," Quinn said. "Oh yeah, by the way, you have an amazing voice. And so does the cook."

"Her name is Shelby. And thank you," I say, smiling.

"How do you know her name is Shelby?"

"I was talking to her one night and she told me."

"You talked to her?"

"I did. Is that a bad thing?" I ask.

"No, not really. It's just that nobody really makes a point to converse with the adults here," Quinn replies.

"Oh, well maybe they should. Not having anyone to talk to can be daunting after a while. I know I would go insane," I reply. "Anyway, she's really nice."

"So why were you singing with her?" Quinn asks.

"I don't know. It just happened. I was on my way back here and all of a sudden I heard this beautiful voice, singing Defying Gravity. And, of course, I had to go find out who it was. And then it turned out to be Shelby. Her voice resembled that of the Broadway superstar Idina Menzel's voice."

"Who?" Quinn asked.

I stared in shock at her for a few moments. "Idina Menzel…one of the biggest stars on Broadway?"

Quinn shook her head.

"From blockbuster musicals, Rent and Wicked? No? …Quinn, you live in New York. How do you not know who Idina Menzel is?"

"I don't necessarily keep tabs on Broadway related things."

I threw my head back and let out a groan in deep frustration. It is a sin against nature for someone to not to know who Idina is, let alone Wicked!

"Nevermind." I say. "Anyway, we sang together. I can't really explain it, and this might sound weird, but it felt…right…when I sang with Shelby."

I glanced up to see find a puzzled Quinn staring back at me. I knew she wouldn't understand. I guess no one would understand unless they were the one singing.

"Forget it," I told Quinn.

"Ok. So anyway, I was gonna ask, are you going to talk to Ms. Davis about enrolling in school?"

"Oh yeah," I remembered. "I totally forgot." I hadn't devoted one thought to the idea of going to school. We'd been on break since the 16th of December, before the accident. So the thought never crossed my mind.

"When does school start back up?" I asked.

"The 7th, I'm pretty sure."

"Oh, that soon." That would be five days from now. I guess I should talk to Ms. Davis about that," I say while standing, ready to head to Ms. Davis' room.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you? Ms. Davis can be kind of…crazy."

"No Quinn," I laugh. "I think I can so this on my own."

With that, I turned on my heel and headed towards the crazy lady's lair. While I was walking, I noticed how the creaking of the wood floorboards made a sort of song. Or maybe it was just that I have been so musically deprived since I've been here that my brain was playing tricks on me.

When I reached the door, I took a deep breath in and then out, preparing myself. After rapping on the door four times, I heard tiny movements, like the rustling of bed sheets.

"Who wants what now?" Ms. Davis yelled from inside.

"It's Rachel Berry. I need to talk to you about an important matter involving school."

I waited as I heard Ms. Davis head for the door, stomping across the floorboards, no doubt stumbling the whole way there.

Finally, Ms. Davis appeared at the threshold and I felt the wind against my face as the door whooshed open. She sported her signature green and red plaid bathrobe look.

"What is it Rina?" she asked, annoyance evident in her tone.

"Rachel, it's Rachel," I said. I would normally point out that I had just stated my name so should know what my correct name is, unless she was aiming for my vexation. However, I prefer to keep my conversing with this woman down to a minimum so I decide to let it slide in order to not prolong my stay.

She just shrugged.

"Anyway, because we have been on the holiday break I hadn't noticed it. However, it has come to my recent attention-"

"Spit it out Renee."

"I need to be enrolled in school."

"Oh yes," Ms. Davis replied, probably realizing it for the first time as well. "I need to do that. I'll get right on that."

And with that, the old hag turned and walked back to her bed, but not before proceeding to slam the door in my face.

She's not really a conversationalist.

Glee

Author's Note: So there you go. It was it a little shorter this time. How did you like it? By the way, if you guys have any ideas that you would like me to consider or if you just want to say what you thought about the chapter, good or bad, please review :)


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